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No.. 225,431. Patefed Mar. 9,1880.

I Il.

INVENTnn,

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT EEicEo ELDRIDGE J. SMITH, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO J. CLEMENT SMITH, OF SAME PLACE.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,431, dated March 9, 1880. Application led December 20, 1879.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ELDRIDGE J. SMITH, of Washington, in the county of Vashington and District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs 5 and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a 1o part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to chairs; and it consists inthe improvements in the construction of the same hereinafter fully described, and

particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of my chair, having an arched leg-base with rockers; Fig. 2, a sectional view of the joints between the upper 2o end of brace-arm and back fabric; and Fig. 3,

a perspective view of a bracket-plate to be interposed between the upper faces of the rear legs and the under face of the rear portion of the seat.

The fabric forming the seat and backl A is of well-known construction, the slats being united by spring-steel wire a passing through the slats, which are held at suitable'distances apart by thimbles a', passed over the wire and 3o interposed between the strips or slats a2.

The connecting-wire of the fabric is bent to conform to the shape of the body when in a sitting position, and is then braced by curved tangential arms B, which extend from the mid- 35 dle portion of the seat to the middle portion of the back, and serve to hold the fabric permanently in its required shape.

The portions of the fabric that extend beyond the arms have sufficient elasticity to give ease 4o and comfort to the occupant and to permit the fabric to conform to the outlines of the body.

The seat and back thus formed are ready to be attached to any suitable leg-base, and may be packed closely one upon the other for storage or transportation.

By this form of construction it is exceedingly difcult to break, crush, or permanently impair the shape of the seat and back.

The central portion of the seat and back is 5o doubly arched, and thereby secures the great- -tions are securely connected by est strength of structure, and the elastic or unbraced portion of the same is not of sufficient length to be impaired by any strain that may come upon it, while it has the desirable features of elasticity and limited flexibility.

The above described seat and back are preferably attached to a leg-base, C, of peculiar construction, of the following description: Each side of the base is formed of a triangular sector-shaped portion, C', the rear legs, C2, 6o being arched in such mannerthat they will extend entirely under the seat and follow its outline as far toward its back as may be necessary to form a iirm support, which 1nay be extended to any required degree by a projection upon the circumference of the said leg or by means of a bracket-plate, hereinafter more fully described.

The legs are connected and braced together at each side portion by rounds, or, as shown 7o in the drawings, by rockers, and the side portransverse rounds and by the seat of the chair, which is securely bolted to the upper portion of the rear legs.

The front and rear legs upon each side may be formed of a single piece of wood, bent completely around to a U shape, and connected near their ends with a brace-round, or connected at their ends witha rocker.

The front end ofthe arms may be connected with the base by a single bolt passing entirely through the upper end of the rear leg, and may be additionally connected therewith by a dowel-pin or bolt passing into one of the rear slats from the bracket extension or projection of the rear leg.

The bracket-piece C3, Fig. 3, is preferably formed of metal, the base of which is screwed securely to the upper side of the rear leg, and 9o the bearing-plate of which, connected to the base by a web or post, is secured to one of the rear slats of the back and forms a tangent with the curve of the leg, and perfectly con# forms to the under side of the rear portion of the seat.

The upper ends of the brace-arms are pref erably connected to the fabric by a plate, C4, extending across the back portion of two of the slats of the fabric, and are firmly held to roo seat to the middle portion of the back,thereby forming two extended elastic portions beyond the ends of said arms` substantially as and for 15 the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two lWitnesses.

ELDRIDGE J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

WM. H. RoWE, J AMEs J. SHEEHY. 

